Cleantech firm collaborates on smart AC technology
4th March 2022
USA/CANADA: Blue Frontier, a US company developing smart air conditioning systems combining sensible cooling with liquid desiccant dehumidification, has established a joint commercialisation partnership with Canadian manufacturer Modern Niagara.
Based in Parkland, Florida, Blue Frontier’s technology is said to to address the main sustainability issues of conventional air conditioning technology, including the elimination of high GWP refrigerants, energy consumption reductions of up to 90%, and shifting of the air conditioner’s electricity consumption so that it is consistent with periods of renewable energy generation.
Blue Frontier’s AC system combines dew-point-style sensible cooling with liquid desiccant dehumidification. The desiccant is recharged and stored when electricity is the cleanest or lowest cost, and later used to deliver cooling when electricity is dirty or costly.
It integrates energy storage and air conditioning in a single device without using conventional batteries. This is said to make the system’s electricity consumption flexible and controllable so that it only occurs when renewable energy is plentiful. At the same time, this flexibility does not affect the operation of the air conditioner itself, ensuring the comfort of building occupants.
Modern Niagara is a Canadian mechanical contractors and building solutions company that also manufactures commercial and industrial heating and air conditioning systems.
“Our customers are looking for sustainable cooling and heating solutions that save both energy and money, that makes their building’s energy consumption flexible and consistent with renewable energy generation,” explained Modern Niagra’s CEO Brad McAninch.
Speaking of Blue Frontier’s technology, he said: “The technology is credible, disruptive and provides an exciting improvement to the services we could provide our clients in the coming years. We see great value in it for building owners, investors, utilities and service providers. We are pleased to be working together to bring the first product, a packaged rooftop unit, to market.”
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NREL in search for energy efficient AC – 28 December 2021
USA: The USA’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is receiving funding for two projects focused on the use of liquid desiccant in energy efficient air conditioning. Read more…
